The Wandering Disciple

Long before Publix or Wal-Mart or Winn-Dixie, people relied on community general stores like Wiggins Store depicted here at the Manatee Village Historical Park. Built by King Wiggins in 1903, Wiggins Store was a one-stop shop for anything you needed for your home. But it served more than just a store, the second floor was a rooming house as well. It was also the center of the entertainment in the growing community of Bradenton, people would socialize on the porches, play checker or listen to music on the phonograph. The building would begin to deteriorate over the years and was condemned in 1983. It was later purchased by the Historical Society and was refurbished, re-opening as part of the Manatee Village Historical Park in 1990. (Photo: January 8, 2011)

Simple Christmas decorations adorn the Stephens House at the Manatee Historical Village.  Each year, the village takes on a festive appearance as they recreate Christmas as celebrated by the pioneer settlers.  (Photo: January 8, 2011)

The Union Congregation church building is one of many historically significant buildings to tour at the Manatee Historical Park. The church took two years to build and was completed in 1887. It was home to the Union Congregation and later the Methodist-Episcopal Church South. (Photo: January 8, 2011)

The old Manatee County Courthouse is one of the many building that can be toured at the Manatee Village Historical Park. The Courthouse, built in 1860, was the main courthouse for the newly formed Manatee County. The rustic courtroom housed all of the government services for the fledgling county. (Photo: January 8, 2011)

The Potter Barn at the Manatee Village Historic Park is a replica barn found in the region in the late 1800’s. The barn is one of several historic structure located in the village that represent the early history of Manatee County. (Photo: January 8, 2011)

A steam locomotive named Old Cabbage Head welcomes guests to the Manatee Village Historical Park. Once used in the turpentine industry of the Northern Florida, the locomotive eventually came to Manatee to help shuttle crates from Manatee to Nocatee. Today the locomotive is one of many historic items that can be experienced at the historical park. (Photo: January 8, 2010)

Bradenton, Florida: Take a trip back in time to the beginnings of Manatee County. Here amongst the large oak trees is the Manatee Village Historic Park, a collection of buildings that helped shape early Manatee County. The park brings significant buildings of the county’s history and puts them on one parcel, making it easy to explore and learn about life in early Manatee County. From the first courthouse to the general store, it is all here to visit. There are fifteen historical sites located within the park, these sites include: Old Cabbage Head: This steam locomotive was built in 1913 and was moved to Manatee County in 1948 where it worked at Manatee Noccatee Crate Mill. The locomotive was in service until 1952 when the company went out of business and the train was left to deteriorate. In 2002, it was relocated to the historic park and restored. Wiggins Store: The only building that remains in its original location, it was the lifeline to the early settlement. The two story build...

Manatee County, Florida: My wife had in-service training today for a few hours, so I decided to travel along and visit some of the sites in Manatee County that have been on my list of things to do. Too many times we look to get far away to see attractions in new cities and often forget about the ones in our own backyard, today I took the time to visit some of these places. Our first stop of the day was Emerson Point Preserve in Palmetto. The preserve is located on Snead Island and is surrounded by Tampa Bay, Terra Ceia Bay and the Manatee River. We started our tour of the preserve from the point parking lot. We hiked the Beach Walk Trail which was a .36 mile trail that went along the coast of the Tampa Bay and offers great views of the Sunshine Skyway and the City of St. Petersburg across the bay. Next we walked the adjacent Point Replica Mound Trail which had an overlook on top of the mound that gave great views of the Manatee River and Tampa Bay. We began to run short on time, ...